Surround package for 5 grand. Any suggestions?

[bretty]

I'm now swinging back towards the Focal Aria package and pairing it with the KK DXD-12012.

FWIW. My advice is to make no decisions without demoing the alternatives....it's too much money to take any chances with.

Absolutely agree with you, Matey. Next move is to find some dealers that stock the speakers that are now on my short list, which now looks like:

Focal Aria package

Kef R700 package

B&W CM10 S2 package

SVS Tower Ultra package

 

[Son_of_SJ]

One more suggestion: if the product is available elsewhere, prefer to buy it from UK rather than L-Sound who are based in Norway. Frank Harvey Hi Fi at Coventry and Nick at H Sound also sell SVS subwoofers, and I'm pretty sure they'll be happy to price match. After sales service and support will be a lot easier.

Actually it's Nick's former Home Cinema Centre colleague, Dan Bland, who does SVS (and many other) subwoofers, here. I happen to have two SVS subwoofers - a PC12-Plus in the kitchen, which I bought from LSound in Norway (at the time there were no UK-based SVS dealers) and an old-style (750W Bash amplifier) PC13-Ultra subwoofer, which I bought second-hand from Nick and Dan at the Home Cinema Centre, in the parlour. I personally prefer the look of the cylinder subwoofers, and unlike many people I like to see the connections and so I have the subwoofers turned round so that the connections panels face out into the rooms. If you, when money allows, buy the £1,600 new-style PC13-Ultra (with the 1000W Sledge ampfier) you might enjoy the LCD panel glowing blue for 30 seconds after it is switched on. You'll also definitely enjoy even the smaller PC12-Plus shaking your room, which is how big, by the way?

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi bretty

Focal's Aria range adds up to form a formidable main speaker package and fwiw we've had excellent results pairing 926's, CC900 (and out of interest Electra CC 1008 Be) and 906's with JL Audio's E-110 and E-112 subwoofers

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[bretty]

One more suggestion: if the product is available elsewhere, prefer to buy it from UK rather than L-Sound who are based in Norway. Frank Harvey Hi Fi at Coventry and Nick at H Sound also sell SVS subwoofers, and I'm pretty sure they'll be happy to price match. After sales service and support will be a lot easier.

If you, when money allows, buy the £1,600 new-style PC13-Ultra (with the 1000W Sledge ampfier) you might enjoy the LCD panel glowing blue for 30 seconds after it is switched on. You'll also definitely enjoy even the smaller PC12-Plus shaking your room, which is how big, by the way?

Thanks for your input, Matey. My cinema room is 5.5m x 5.5m

 

[bretty]

Hi bretty

Focal's Aria range adds up to form a formidable main speaker package and fwiw we've had excellent results pairing 926's, CC900 (and out of interest Electra CC 1008 Be) and 906's with JL Audio's E-110 and E-112 subwoofers?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Cheers, Rick. Do you stock the Focal Aria or any of the other packages on my short list? I'm way down on the south coast, but I'm heading up north to visit a mate soon, so I may well make a detour to see you.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi bretty

Other than Focal JM Lab and JL Audio no. Out of interest alternative combinations that we offer are from ATC, Monitor Audio, Raidho Acoustics and their new Scansonic MB (Michael Borresen) Series. Matching MB center speaker (looks beautiful btw) should be available early spring.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[bretty]

Not heard of the Raidho Acoustics. Sounds intriguing. Looks like I'll be making that Derby detour for a demo day, then

 

[bretty]

David, what brands do you stock?

 

[Son_of_SJ]

Thanks for your input, Matey. My cinema room is 5.5m x 5.5m

That's a similar size to my kitchen, which is 17' x 14', and the SVS PC12-Plus is certainly enough for that size of room, though the PC13-Ultra is not too much more expensive if you want the kudos of having the top model!

I'm assuming that you've read this review of the 7.1 SVS system and this review of the PC12-Plus subwoofer, and this review of the PC13-Ultra subwoofer and lastly this other review of the PC13-Ultra subwoofer. I realise that I'm pushing you in the direction of the cylinder rather than the box subwoofers, but I just think that the cylinder ones are more elegant, despite what Adam Rayner, no oil painting he, unkindly says in the first sentence of the 7.1 review. The cylinder ones also occupy much less floor space than the corresponding box subwoofers.

 

[bretty]

I think the cylinder subs look cool. I read a lot of reviews of the svs surround set over the last couple days and I'm yet to find one that's not utterly glowing. I'm definitely interested in the brand

 

[richardw42]

If my planning ever comes through, I'll be getting 3 pairs of AVI DM5 (£700/pair) for a 6.1 or 2., and probably a couple of subs.

 

[Frank Harvey]

David, what brands do you stock?

Brands you can try out in store with the matching centre, or ranges to compare in general? I ask as some people choose their AV systems based on the two channel performance of the front left and right and just add the matching centre and rears.

 

[bretty]

David, what brands do you stock?

Brands you can try out in store with the matching centre, or ranges to compare in general? I ask as some people choose their AV systems based on the two channel performance of the front left and right and just add the matching centre and rears.

Any decent range that you stock that has available centres and surrounds please David

 

[Frank Harvey]

Dali Rubicon, ATC, Sonus Faber Venere, KEF R Series, Monitor Audio Gold GX, PMC Twenty series, Spendor, B&W CM S2, ProAc, and SVS subwoofers.

 

[bretty]

Dali Rubicon, ATC, Sonus Faber Venere, KEF R Series, Monitor Audio Gold GX, PMC Twenty series, Spendor, B&W CM S2, ProAc, and SVS subwoofers.

Excellent. I'll be coming to you too, then, David!

 

[Son_of_SJ]

I read a lot of reviews of the svs surround set over the last couple days and I'm yet to find one that's not utterly glowing.

Honesty compels me, a big SVS fan, to tell you that What Hi-Fi didn't like the tower floorstanders much, in a group test in the February 2014 issue, along with the PMC Twenty 23, the Tannoy Precision 6.4 and the Spendor A6R (google these other speakers, adding What Hi-Fi to the search term). However, just for instance, Enjoy the Music liked them lot more than What Hi-Fi did. The SVS Tower floorstanders now share with the Oppo 103 Blu-Ray player the distinction of being liked, or loved, by everyone else but getting only three stars in What Hi-Fi.

 

[bigboss]

I think WHF didn't give credit for all the unique extra features Oppo possesses and focused only on AV performance. I know that all blu ray players are identical when playing 1080p films as long as no extra processing is employed by the player. But Oppo has lot more tricks up its sleeve.

 

[ellisdj]

Be careful with speaker package - if you go to high with it you are likely going to need / want a new amp.

Why this is great long term short term not so great.

For instance Monitor Audio GX need serious equipment to sound their best, as do any speakers in this range B&W CM's etc.

I had GX off a Pioneer LX83 - sounded decent but came alive when I went over to a proper pre / pro setup.

I personally dont mind this route as I always know I will spend more in the future to get more but as I have been there before I can say thats likely what will happen and if you not planning on spending anymore for a long time its worth factoring into your decision.

For that amp I would think MA Apex with a great sub would be a very good solution for your budget.

 

[bretty]

Be careful with speaker package - if you go to high with it you are likely going to need / want a new amp.

Why this is great long term short term not so great.

For instance Monitor Audio GX need serious equipment to sound their best, as do any speakers in this range B&W CM's etc.?

I had GX off a Pioneer LX83 - sounded decent but came alive when I went over to a proper pre / pro setup.

I personally dont mind this route as I always know I will spend more in the future to get more but as I have been there before I can say thats likely what will happen and if you not planning on spending anymore for a long time its worth factoring into your decision.

For that amp I would think MA Apex with a great sub would be a very good solution for your budget.

Thanks for your input, Matey. I will be upgrading all aspects of my AV set up over the next 12 months, the speakers are just the the first, then amp, then projector. The apex package would be a bit of a downgrade from my existing package. That's the thing: the Tannoys are very, very good. They don't do anything badly, I just feel I want a change to a better looking set with an improvement in sound quality and I know I'm gonna have to do 4k to get it.

After the speakers, I probably will be following you down the pre/pro route

 

[Son_of_SJ]

Bretty, I don't think that you've told us exactly what speaker package you have just now? You've said Tannoy, but ......

 

[bretty]

Bretty, I don't think that you've told us exactly what speaker package you have just now? You've said Tannoy, but ......

That's true. It the Tannoy Eyris package.

 

[bretty]

Ooh, I've just seen there's a focal stockist in Brighton. I'll be off for a demo next weekend. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[ellisdj]

If you think the Apex is a down grade I would be looking to upgrade the amplifier first.

Maybe Spend the budget on a decent pre and power and get much more from what you have got, then look at speakers next.

I dont think you would get full sound from the Apex from your receiver so if you have more demanding speakers now you are likely going to widen the gap with a more demanding set still

Or better yet spend some money and time on your room acoustics - if you havent already, to again be actually properly (well closer) to hearing what you actually should be

 

[bretty]

You do make a good point. If I were to look at pre/powers, what brands would you say to start looking at, for the 5 grand budget?

 

[ellisdj]

I have only really have experience with Meridian - I like them as they are hifi and home cinema not just one or the other. The 861 is an awesome processor, seriously awesome - but everything is manual there is no autio setup - the eq is lousy automastic but a great tool if you have a bit of knowledgee and skill with REW

I have also bought used kit as I can get my hands on premium champagne kit for more realstic lemonade money. I could not afford to pay £16k for my amp and processor new.

This might affect your decision - new vs used.

Nothing wrong with used kit IMO.

Other options are Anthem more premium, Onkyo and Yamaha and Marantz - the Marantz prte and pro gets some very good press and appears to have good power supplies internally which is essential.